After last week’s “Filter First” passage, Dems unveil the refurbished Second Ave bridge and make a major breakthrough on landmark clean energy package
LANSING — This week, Democrats made waves celebrating a landmark clean energy package and the opening of Detroit’s Second Ave bridge that was made possible by collaboration and investment between the Biden-Harris Administration and Whitmer-Gilchrist Administration. These investments to ensure Michigan is at the forefront of innovation come on the heels of Gov. Whitmer signing the “Filter First” legislative package last week to protect Michigan children from lead poisoning.
MDP was also proud to continue to stand in solidarity with our autoworkers this week as the UAW and Ford reached a historic tentative agreement after 41 days of workers bravely striking to get a fair contract. Michigan Democrats celebrated this landmark agreement that will guarantee high-quality jobs for the workers that power our economy into the future.
Catch up on what happened this week below:
First, Democrats celebrated Gov. Whitmer signing legislation last week to make Michigan the first state in the nation to protect all students from the harms of lead-contaminated water in schools and daycares.
Since disgraced former Gov. Rick Snyder’s Flint water crisis, Democrats have been fighting to protect all children from lead poisoning. Forty years of ineffective Republican leadership has hurt our state’s infrastructure, and we are so proud that Democrats are taking on this vital issue:
Bridge Michigan: Michigan makes history, requires filtered water in all schools, daycares
- “No amount of lead in water is safe for kids,” sponsoring state Rep. Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton, said in a statement. “…The least we can expect is that the place we send our children every day to learn and play is safe and has clean drinking water.”…
- The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group that pushed for the new Michigan policy, contends installing filtered water bottle filling stations in every school will be significantly cheaper than making schools test every tap and then replace units with high lead levels, as considered in other states.
- The “landmark” Michigan law is now a “national model for protecting kids from lead in schools,” the group’s attorney, Joan Leary Matthews, said in a statement. “These laws go straight to the solution by proactively requiring the installation of lead-removing filters without first testing for lead that will inevitably be found.”
This week also brought a hard-won tentative agreement between the UAW and Ford:
Detroit Free Press: Ford’s tentative agreement with UAW: Details of deal, contract offer
- Ford Motor Co. and the UAW have a tentative agreement that both have called a record deal that makes history…
- A ratification vote is required by Ford members, who were called off the strike line on Wednesday. The UAW said Ford workers would return to work while the agreement goes through the ratification process…
- The gains in the deal are valued at more than four times the gains from the last UAW contract in 2019, and provide more in base wage increases than Ford workers have received in the past 22 years, the UAW said in a news release.
Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Lavora Barnes released the following statement celebrating this agreement:
“The Michigan Democratic Party continues to stand in solidarity with UAW as they reach this historic and life-changing tentative agreement with Ford. Our autoworkers here in Michigan not only built our economy – they kept the auto industry alive. Now, they are finally getting what they deserve thanks to their bravery in righteously striking for a fair contract. We are so proud of their efforts and will continue to stand with UAW members as they vote on this agreement, continue to negotiate at General Motors and Stellantis, and fight for a brighter future for all Michiganders.”
On Thursday night, Michigan Senate Democrats passed a landmark Clean Energy bill package that will make Michigan a national leader on clean, carbon-free, and renewable energy production. Despite Republican insistence on living in the past, Democrats are continuing to deliver high-quality, green jobs in Michigan.
As the bill heads to the House, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Lavora Barnes said:
“This package of bills is a vital step toward building a clean energy future here in Michigan that creates jobs and grows our economy. While Republicans sit back and do nothing to address the climate crisis, Democrats are proving they will not leave Michiganders behind. We are thankful to our Democratic leaders who continue to make Michigan an example for the rest of the country when it comes to innovation and industry.”
Detroit Free Press: Michigan Senate passes clean energy bills targeting reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- The package sets new, more ambitious targets for clean and renewable energy standards in Michigan, increases the energy waste reduction standard for utility companies and gives state regulators more impetus to prioritize certain energy goals when working with those utilities…
- “This legislation marks the beginning of taking bold action to address this urgent crisis, one that is a clear and present danger, and failure to tackle it meaningfully cannot be an option. In fact, the cost of doing nothing is dire and detrimental to the health and welfare of our state and her people,” said Sen. Erika Geiss, D-Taylor.
WZZM: ‘There is no Planet B’ | Michigan Senate passes bills to tackle climate change
- “This legislation is a major milestone in ongoing efforts to ensure a greener and more environmentally conscious Michigan,” said Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo), Chair of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee. “These policies will safeguard public health and better protect our environment now and for future generations”…
- “These bills are driven by the shared sentiment that energy should be affordable and reliable for all Michiganders,” said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids). “Those values were our starting point and the result is powerful legislation that will make our electric bills more reasonable, our grid more dependable and our state a cleaner and more sustainable place to live.”
Then, the Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Lavora Barnes applauded Democratic collaboration on investing in infrastructure that remade the newly opened Second Ave bridge. The Biden-Harris Administration and Democrats are helping to grow the economy and local communities with this historic investment across Michigan for safer, more sustainable infrastructure:
“This is a crystal clear example of how Democrats are delivering for Michiganders – investing in world-class infrastructure that matches our world-class state,” said Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Lavora Barnes. “Along with the Biden-Harris administration, Michigan Democrats are dedicated to fixing the damn roads and creating infrastructure that helps grow communities. We are grateful for the national and state Democratic leaders who championed this project from the beginning, and are now getting the job done.”
It has been a good week of Democrats working hard to deliver a brighter, fairer future for all Michiganders. From the environment to schools to infrastructure, Democrats are always working hard for you. Til next time!
Signing off,
Michigan Dems
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